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Union Pickets Pic ‘n Save in West Bend

Great.

Members of a Milwaukee electricians union spent time Wednesday morning picketing in front of the construction site for the new Pick ’n Save North food store on West Washington Street.

   The abbreviated, 12-member picket line was part of a summerlong protest being conducted against Roundy’s Supermarkets Inc., Milwaukee, by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 494 because Roundy’s is using nonunion contractors at its remodeling and construction sites in southeastern Wisconsin.

   The subcontractor doing the electrical work at the West Bend store site is from the Appleton area, said Rick Gutierrez, business representative for the union.

   “The subcontractor doing the work there is using nonunion workers,” he said. “They’re offering a lower wage package. We can’t compete. We’ve lost a lot of our work with (Roundy’s). That’s our dispute.”

Don’t you just love that last line?  “Waaaaaaaa…. our competition is doing the same work for less and we can’t compete!!!!  It’s not FAIR!!!”  Um, yes Rick, you can compete.  You choose not to compete because your union demands that employees be overpaid.

Posted by Owen at 1708 hrs
Economy + Politics + Politics - Wisconsin

1. When I saw the picture, all I could think was what a useless waste of time.  What purpose does that serve, other than pointing out that their labor is over-priced?

   So, what I am supposed to do?  Drive past Pick & Save, give the guys a thumbs-up & head over to WalMart?  I guess WalMart is real union friendly too.  Not!

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 18, 2009 at 1746 hrs
   
   
   

2. If it is so cheap, why does PNS charge so much more?

   Oh yeah, cuz they will have to have the shoddy workmanship done over again.

   Who wants standards when you can save a dime?

   Posted by capper on June 18, 2009 at 2111 hrs
   
   
   

3. Who wants standards when you can save a dime?

   City of West Bend has some electrical codes that must be adhered to, and an Inspection Department that ensures that the workmanship meets those standards.  Applied equally to union work as well as nonunion work.

   Gotta love the “Union Labor = Perfect Workmanship” “NonUnion Labor = Shoddy Workmanship” belief system.  Is that the way it works with WEAC too?  Is that the way it works with a GM car versus a Toyota car?

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 18, 2009 at 2122 hrs
   
   
   

4. Statements like capper’s just make me roll my eyes.  Why would Pic n Save use non-union labor if they did a crappy job that ended up costing the company more?  What possible interest could they have in doing that?  Are they really going to throw profit out the window just to what… stick it to the unions?  It doesn’t make any sense whatsoever.

   Posted by Owen on June 18, 2009 at 2135 hrs
   
   
   

5. Your right Owen, it doesn’t, but like you and my BFF Scott Walker and the too many people, you have the misguided and unsubstantiated belief that going non-union saves money.

   Union shops have higher retention rates, so they don’t have to keep looking for new people, training them, and then watching them leave when they realize they can do better.

   It is simply a case of people, PNS in this story, being penny wise but pound foolish.

   Posted by capper on June 18, 2009 at 2141 hrs
   
   
   

6. And your irrational belief that union labor is always better… Again, why would PNS throw away profit?  Do you have any data to actually back up your assertion that the use of non-union labor is costing PNS more? 

   Anything?

   Posted by Owen on June 18, 2009 at 2149 hrs
   
   
   

7. I love this topic, having a dad who went from a non union electrical shop to a union one.  Once he was in the union shop, he was continually told to slow down, that he was making the rest of them look bad.  There were times working for the city, when my Dad, (who never has figured out how to slow down) used to fix more outages in the city than the entire rest of the department, who spent their days working side jobs, managing their investments, napping….....

   The electrical work for PNS is pretty simple stuff, I’m an accountant, and I could do about 90 percent of it.  Not rocket science, you only really need one good electrician on board to make sure it gets done right. 

   I usually make a point of thanking the union guys picketing for pointing out a non union store, so I can make sure to do all of my shopping there. 

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 18, 2009 at 2206 hrs
   
   
   

8. union workers = quality?

   LOL!!!!

   I’ll still take my Honda over any GM, Ford car for quality.

   TOO FUNNY!

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 19, 2009 at 0735 hrs
   
   
   

9. Curt, my dad did the opposite, going from a union shop to a non-union shop, and was never happier.

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 19, 2009 at 0915 hrs
   
   
   

10. From the link:

    The abbreviated, 12-member picket line was part of a summerlong protest being conducted against Roundy’s Supermarkets Inc., Milwaukee, by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 494 because Roundy’s is using nonunion contractors at its remodeling and construction sites in southeastern Wisconsin.

    Technically, it isn’t Roundys/Pick N Save that is building the project.  It is being built by General Capital Group of Fox Point & will be leased to Pick N Save.  General Capital Group also develops residential housing and industrial properties.  I would imagine that any future costs as a result of shoddy workmanship would have to be “eaten” by GenCap - unless Roundy’s accepted some kind of rider that allows for increases in their lease payments for such a scenario.

    http://www.generalcapitalgroup.com/pages/projects_ind.html

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 19, 2009 at 0944 hrs
    
    
    

11. Union shops have higher retention rates,

    You ever see the paperwork required to get a union member fired/let-go?!? Now wonder they have higher retention rates!

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 19, 2009 at 1228 hrs
    
    
    

12. Union shops have higher retention rates,

    You ever see the paperwork required to get a union member fired/let-go?!? Now wonder they have higher retention rates!

    Not to mention the strong-arm tactics they use.  Back in the day when I worked for Wisconsin Electric, my job was threatened by the union by sending me a letter that I was required to join and that if I failed to do so within (I think it was two weeks) they would forward my name to HR for termination.  SCREW the IBEW.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 20, 2009 at 0124 hrs
    
    
    

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